Playing The Villain
by Howard Bamboo
Summary: "I hope you're happy," she growls before stomping out the door. "I'm ecstatic!" I call after her.  ON HIATUS
1. The New Guy

"Damon, I'm just going to warn you before you go in, you may get verbally assaulted regarding your singing ability and your outfit," Will tells me.

"Don't worry. I've been berated about much worse things," I smirk.

"You're a brave guy," he says before we enter the choir room.

I see Anna sitting with a gothic-looking Asian girl.

"Who is this, Mr. Schue?" a brunette girl immediately demands.

"I'm Damon, Mr. Schuester's new student teacher. And you are?" I grin, sitting down on a stool.

"Rachel," she says confidently. "Do you have any experience singing?"

"More than you could imagine," I say. "About a hundred years of experience."

She rolls her eyes.

"So, Finn and Rachel, let's run through Come What May."

My favorite song of all time.

Let's hear how they do.

"_Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
Want to vanish inside your kiss  
Every day I love you more and-_"

I cut him off by saying: "Mr. Schuester, if I may?"

"Go ahead," he says.

"I think Finn's voice is too high for this song, Will. I don't see how he can get the deep vibrato parts without sounding like a dying manatee," I comment.

"That's what I've been saying, but Rachel keeps saying I can do it if I practice with her," the tall kid informs me.

I look at her and raise an eyebrow.

"Can you do it?" she asks me.

"In fact, I can," I tell her.

"Let's hear it, Matt Damon," she teases.

"_Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
Want to vanish inside your kiss  
Every day I love you more and more  
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings  
Telling me to give you everything  
Seasons may change, winter to spring  
But I love you until the end of time  
Come what may  
Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_," I sing, keeping perfect control of my voice.

Rachel looks dumbstruck, but sings the next verse.

"_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste  
It all revolves around you_," she sings. Her singing voice sounds like Katherine's.

Every goddamn thing reminds me of her.

I shake the thoughts from my mind.

"_And there's no mountain too high  
No river too wide  
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side  
Storm clouds may gather  
And stars may collide  
But I love you until the end of time_," we harmonize. Her hand brushes against mine and she smiles.

"Well, um, yeah. There you have it, Rachel. I can sing," I say uncomfortably, sitting back down.

"You're really good," Anna says bitterly.

"Thank you," I say warily. I expect her to come lunging at my throat. I mean, I did try to strangle her mother.

"I didn't know you could sing," she adds.

"There is a _lot _you don't know about me, Annabelle," I growl.

"You two know each other?" Will asks.

"We go way back. Don't we, Damon?" she grins.

"Indeed we do," I say.

--

"Damon, what the hell are you doing here?" Anna demands once everyone's out of earshot. We're in the hallway.

"I got a job. Decided I'd do something with my life."

"You don't have a life," she hisses. "What are you really doing here?"

"Pissing off Stefan. He told me not to follow you and Pearl."

"Why would you follow me in the first place?"

"Because he's convinced you were lying to me when you said you haven't seen Katherine in almost 30 years. He thinks you guys are a sorority or something," I say, inspecting my fingernails.

"So you're here to annoy Stefan and start a new life?" she asks, not fully understanding.

"Pretty much… Is that Rachel girl always that insufferable?"

"Pretty much," she says, mocking me.

"I wonder if her blood's as bitter as she is," I muse.

"Don't you dare," Anna growls.

"What do you mean, Annabelle?" I smirk.

"Do _not _feed on anyone here. They're kind of my friends," she admits sheepishly.

"You're a vampire. You don't _have _friends," I say.

"Not every vampire is as angry and standoffish as you, Damon. We can have friends. Just look at Stefan."

"His existence revolves around Elena," I snort.

"Your existence revolves around Katherine."

"Why'd you come to Buttfuck, Ohio?" I ask, changing the subject.

"No reason. Just seemed as good a place as any."

"Right."

"So, I gotta get going, Damon. Homework and stuff," she tells me, motioning to her bookbag.

"Of course. Yeah. I have to talk to Schuester anyway. Good seeing you."

She rolls her eyes at me and heads for the doors.

I walk back into the choir room and see Rachel talking to Mr. Schue.

I sit on the risers and inconspicuously eavesdrop.

"Mr. Schuester, I don't think we should axe the song altogether. Noah could take the Ewan McGregor part."

"Puck doesn't like singing solos. The only reason he did in the Acafellas was for cougars and when he sang Sweet Caroline, it was to get you to go out with him because he didn't want to disappoint his mom."

"Artie?"

"Artie can't do the choreography."

"Matt or Mike or Kurt?"

"Rachel, the song is being cut from the set list."

I smile smugly to myself.

I guess she senses that because she looks right at me, eyes narrow.

"I hope you're happy," she growls before stomping out the door.

"I'm ecstatic!" I call after her.

"Rachel can be a little unbearable," Will informs me.

"I've noticed," I chuckle.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why, but I thought Rachel and Damon would be an interesting couple. I'll see how this plays out.**

**I don't own Glee, The Vampire Diaries, or Come What May from Moulin Rouge.**

**Check out my other stories!**


	2. Mystic Falls

"Who does this Damon guy think he is, Daddy? Waltzing in and somehow getting Mr. Schuester to remove Come What May from the set list. The nerve!" I huff.

"From what it sounds like, he made a suggestion and Mr. Schuester didn't want to offend Finn by getting someone else to sing with you, so he just cut the whole song," Daddy says from behind his newspaper.

"Well, I don't like his suggestions. I'm going to take this guy down."

--

At precisely 6:30am, I stroll into Mr. Schuester's classroom.

Damon is sitting at the desk with a red pen in his hand, obviously correcting a test.

Mr. Schue is hanging up posters on the wall.

"Mr. Schue, the jocks just put Artie in a garbage can headfirst. Then they pushed his wheelchair down the hallway."

"I'll take care of it. Thank you, Rachel," he says before exiting the room.

Once he's out, I close the door.

"So, what are you doing?" I ask Damon, sitting on the corner of the desk.

"Grading tests. I swear to god, these Cheerios are extremely stupid," he says.

I glance at the name on the top of the test. Brittany.

"She's in glee club. She might not be Einstein, but she's a terrific dancer," I tell him.

"She can't speak Spanish to save her life," he comments.

"Can you speak Spanish?"

"Yes."

"Prove it."

"Why must I prove everything to you?"

"Just say something in Spanish."

"¿Es usted siempre esta molestia?"

"I'm not annoying!" I exclaim.

"Sure seems like it to me."

"So, you're bilingual. Big deal."

"I'm more than bilingual, Rachel. I can speak Italian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese, German, and Russian."

"Why?"

"I learned them when the need to learn them arose."

"You're too young for World War II…"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. You?"

"Sixteen. Why?"

"I thought we were playing 20 Questions."

"Where are you from?"

"Virginia."

"Where in Virginia?"

"You just don't quit, do you?" he sighs.

"Nope," I grin. He's silent. "Where in Virginia?" I repeat.

"Mystic Falls," he replies, an amused smile on his face.

"No way! That's pretty close to where my biological mother's from," I smile.

His expression becomes wary.

"Who is your biological mother?" he asks.

"I don't know her last name. I just know her first name is Isobel."

He turns really pale.

"Are you okay? Are you going to be sick?"

"I'm fine. I just… I just have to go see my brother."

"In Virginia?"

"Yes."

"Can I come with you?"

"You have school," he says.

"You have a job."

"Touché. … Sure, you can come with me."

"Yay! I've never missed school before. Ever," I gush.

He scribbles something on a piece of paper, signing it with a beautiful signature. _Damon Salvatore._

"C'mon, let's go." He shrugs his leather jacket on.

--

"So, how long is this drive going to take?" I ask after putting my bags in the backseat of Damon's Ferrari.

"About 10 hours. You might want to call your parents. Tell them you won't be home tonight," he says.

"They're in Cancun for the next month. Allegedly for a conference," I tell him, sliding into the passenger seat.

"Oh. My parents weren't around much when I was young either. It was just my brother and I, really."

"Why?"

"My mom died while giving birth to Stefan. My father was obsessed with catching vampires."

"Vampires?" I laugh.

"Vampires are no laughing matter, Rachel. Especially not in Mystic Falls," he says, giving me a pointed look.

"Do you know any vampires?" I ask.

He's silent for a minute before turning on the radio.

The song playing is I Gotta Feeling.

I can't help but sing along.

"_I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night  
That tonight's gonna be a good night  
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night_."

I glance over at Damon. He's smiling.

"_Tonight's the night  
Let's live it up  
I got my money  
Let's spend it up_

_Go out and smash it  
Like oh my god  
Jump off that sofa_," he sings, still grinning.

"_Let's get, get – off_," we laugh.

"Do you like pop music?" he asks me.

"Some of it. Nothing by Justin Bieber, though. It's like, 'dude, you're 12, you do not _love _that girl.'"

He chuckles.

"What's your favorite pop song?" he inquires.

"Pants On The Ground," I giggle. "And you?"

"Sexy Bitch. Not gonna lie. It's catchy."

"I agree. I mostly like songs from musicals, personally. Pop isn't my thing, really."

"I don't really like pop songs either. I write my own music to listen to."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"That's really cool," I smile.

"Nah, it's kinda lame."

--

"We're here, dollface," a hypnotic voice says. I realize it's Damon.

It's dark out, so I can't make out the details on the house, but it looks pretty old.

"Welcome to the Salvatore Boarding House," he grins.

His teeth are so bright, I can see them at night.

He grabs my bags out of the backseat with ease.

"Let's go. Stefan's less likely to yell at me with you around."

"I thought you were older than him. Why would he yell at you?" I question.

"Coming back unannounced."

"Right."

He locks the Ferrari as we walk onto the porch.

The door's open before either of us can reach for the door handle.

"Damon," a dark-haired, green-eyed boy says.

"Hello, brother," my student-teacher replies.

"Damon," a familiar looking girl says, appearing next to who I assume is Stefan. "Who's this?"

"I'm Rachel Berry. I'm a student at William McKinley High School. Where Damon works, you know?"

"I don't. You work at a school?" Stefan growls.

"We can chat inside, brother. Elena, could you please show Rachel the house?" Damon asks the girl.

"Yeah, sure," she replies.

"You look really familiar," I tell her once we're inside and heading in a different direction from the brothers.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. You kind of look like my biological mother," I realize.

"Biological mother? Were you adopted?" she asks.

"No, no. I have two gay fathers. I was born via surrogate. My mom is a woman named Isobel. She lives somewhere in Virginia. I actually have a picture of her," I say, pulling my wallet out of my purse.

I hand Elena the Polaroid.

"Wow. She's beautiful," she says in a mystified tone. "Have you ever met her?"

"No. All I have is this picture my fathers gave me."

"I'm sorry. … Let me show you around."

* * *

**A/N: This one's a little rushed. I don't own anything, blah, blah, blah.**

**Review, please!  
**


	3. Come What May

"Who is this girl? Why did you bring her here?" Stefan demands.

"She wanted to come with me. I don't know why. But I'm pretty sure she's Elena's sister."

"What do you mean? Elena was adopted."

"Rachel has two gay dads. She was born from a surrogate. A surrogate named Isobel. From Virginia. She showed me a picture she has. It looks exactly like Elena."

"Oh my god. This is… this is impossible. This is a one in a million thing. … How did you find her? How did you know where she was?"

"I didn't. I followed Anna and Pearl to Lima, Ohio. Got a job as a student-teacher at the high school. I pissed her off at glee club so she decided to bitch me out, spilling her life story to me in the process."

"Why did you follow Anna and Pearl?" my brother asks.

"To annoy you."

"Same old Damon."

"Why would I have changed?"

"You learned that the only person you ever loved doesn't care about you."

Low blow.

"You know that Alaric Saltzman guy?" I ask, changing the subject.

"The history teacher? Yeah."

"He was married to Isobel."

"Do you think…?"

"No, I don't think he's Elena's dad. Isobel had her when she was a teenager, remember?"

"Right… Do you think Rachel and Elena are both Pierces?"

"When Rachel sings, she sounds exactly like Katherine and she's got Katherine's personality. Elena is Katherine's doppelganger. There's no way they're _not _Pierces."

It's quiet for a moment.

"Does she know?" Stefan asks.

"Does she know what?"

"You _know_ what. Does she know that you're a vampire? That _I'm _a vampire? That _Anna's _a vampire?"

"No, no, and no," I reply.

"Have you compelled her?"

"I've had no reason to."

"Have you fed on anyone in Ohio?"

"No. I'm kind of starved. Is Caroline around?" I joke.

"Damon," Stefan says sternly.

"I'm kidding. I've been downing pints of AB-negative from the blood bank. Loosen up, brother."

--

In the morning, I wake up to find Elena, Rachel, and Stefan in the kitchen, eating pancakes.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"10am," Rachel replies in a chipper voice.

"Don't you two have school?" I say to Stefan and Elena.

"It's Saturday," Elena reminds me.

"Right…"

"So, I was just telling Rachel that there's an open mic night tonight at the Grill. Stefan and I are going to support Caroline. She's singing Don't Stop Believin'," Elena smiles.

"I sang that in Glee. With Finn," Rachel says to me.

"The freakishly tall one that can't sing as low as I can?"

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, him."

"You're in glee club?" Stefan asks.

"Yeah. I'm kind of amazing," she grins. "I got the lead role in the school's production of Cabaret. And then quit because Mr. Ryerson wanted it for himself."

"The uncanny guy that writes Desperate Housewives fanfiction?" I ask. "Met him in the teacher's lounge."

"Yeah," she laughs. "He unquestionably is."

"You should sing something at open mic night," Elena grins.

"What would be acceptable at an open mic night? I have hundreds of songs in my repertoire."

This time, I roll my eyes.

"Have you sung any solos for Glee?" I ask.

"Why, in fact, I have. Don't Rain On My Parade won us sectionals. I can't believe Mr. Schue didn't tell you that."

"All he told me was that you're neurotic," I smirk. She hits me in the shoulder.

"I swear, you two are the same person," Stefan comments.

"What do you mean?" I ask, a bit offended.

"Arrogant, Italian, flippant, witty, you both use _extremely_ large words," Stefan says.

"Your comment is specious," Rachel huffs.

"I agree. I am _not _arrogant. I'm supercilious. Full of contempt," I say before biting into an apple.

"I, too, am filled with disdain. Most of it is directed at your brother, Stefan, for getting one of my favorite songs of all time cut from the set list for regionals," Rachel complains.

"I made one little comment about Finn's voice being too high. It's not my fault Artie's in a wheelchair," I protest.

"You did it to spite me. I mean, I _did_ question your singing ability. And I called you Matt Damon."

Elena has an amused smirk on her face. Stefan is stifling a smile.

"Seems like you've met your match, Damon. Someone who can talk circles around you," my brother comments.

"This isn't over, Berry," I threaten.

"Bring it, Salvatore," she snarls.

"Oh, don't worry. I will," I say, waltzing out of the room.

--

"I like this girl," Stefan tells me while Rachel, Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie are getting ready for open mic night.

"Why?"

"Because she's just like you."

"Exactly why I _don't _like her."

"You feel threatened," he accuses.

"Do not. … Hey, we should sing something tonight. Remember when we were in that band? _It's too late baby, there's no turning around__ / I got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud_," I sing.

"We were awful, though. It was the two of us attempting to play guitar, bass, and drums."

"My vocals were pretty fantastic, though," I say.

"See, you're arrogant."

"Am not."

"You're also in denial About you being smitten, about you-"

"She's 16, Stefan. I'm 166."

"You're only 150 years older than her. … Age is just a number."

"You can say that. You're 145 years older than your girlfriend, yet physically, you're both the same age."

"So you admit it. You _do _like Rachel."

"I was just pointing out why your argument doesn't apply to me," I say.

Thank god, our conversation is cut short by the doorbell.

I zip over to get it.

It's Matt.

"Matt," I say. "C'mon in. The ladies are upstairs."

As if on cue, the four girls descend the staircase.

Bonnie first. She looks stunning, as much as it pains me to say it.

Then Elena. She looks like Katherine. Like she always has and always will.

Caroline after that, looking like Caroline.

And then Rachel.

"Ready to go?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say, my voice slightly softening.

Stefan takes notice and gives me 'the look'.

I roll my eyes.

--

"Why doesn't Caroline like you?" Rachel asks me.

"She thinks I'm a jerk. We were together for a while. It ended badly."

"Oh, I see. She's with Matt now?"

"I guess so," I shrug.

"Bonnie doesn't really like you either. And Elena's sort of indifferent. Why?"

"It's a long story."

--

We stand at the back of the Grill while Caroline sings.

Rachel mouths the lyrics while the blond girl sings.

"You really like music, don't you?" I ask.

"I love it," she smiles. "I always have. It's sort of my life."

"You really should sing something tonight. Blow everyone away."

"Only if you do too," she smiles.

"How about a duet?"

"Even better."

"You obviously have a better idea of what a good duet is," I say.

"My favorite duet is Endless Love."

"I love that song," I grin.

"Bad memories associated with it, though. Stalking Mr. Schue and whatnot," she admits. I raise an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

"Shut up. I had clouded judgment."

"Right. … But, I have an idea."

--

Rachel has no idea what song I have in mind when I drag her onto the stage.

"_Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
Want to vanish inside your kiss  
Every day I love you more and more  
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings  
Telling me to give you everything  
Seasons may change, winter to spring  
But I love you until the end of time_

_Come what may  
Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_," I sing.

I glance at Elena, Stefan, Bonnie, Matt, and Caroline. They all have incredulous looks on their faces.

"_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste  
It all revolves around you_," Rachel sings, smiling.

Stefan turns white as a sheet. He hears the resemblance.

"_And there's no mountain too high  
No river too wide  
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side  
Storm clouds may gather  
And stars may collide  
But I love you until the end of time  
_  
_Come what may  
Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_

_Oh, come what may, come what may  
I will love you, I will love you  
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place  
_  
_Come what may  
Come what may  
I will love you until my dying day_," we harmonize.

--

"You're fantastic, Rachel," Caroline gushes.

"Thanks," Rachel smiles.

"You were right," Stefan whispers to me. "She sounds exactly like Katherine."

"When am I wrong, brother?"

Before he can answer, I get attacked with a hug. It's Rachel.

"Thanks for, you know, singing that song with me. I forgive you for getting it cut off the set list," she grins.

"It was nothing. Really."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the few reviews, alerts, and faves. It means a lot.**

**I won't be updating any of my stories for a while because I am freaking out. My brother is in Chile right now and he won't be able to fly home for a while. I'm really scared for him.**

**I don't own anything.  
**


	4. Blood To Bleed

"Tell me about yourself. I know about your family, but not about you," I say to Damon. I decided we should go on a walk.

Stefan was adamantly opposed, which I didn't understand.

"What do you want to know?" he asks.

"Do you have any tattoos?" I blurt out.

"In fact, I do," he grins, taking off his leather jacket and exposing his arm. "Hic et nunc," he reads.

"Is it Latin?"

"Yeah. It means 'here and now.' It's fitting because I am _extremely _impulsive." He laughs. "Do _you _have any tattoos?"

"I do, actually. Don't tell my dads," I joke. "There's one on my left shoulder of music notes, one on my foot that says 'imagine', and a gold star on my wrist. I sign my name with a gold star at the end. Because the star is a metaphor for me being a star. And metaphors are important." He laughs again.

"When's your birthday?" he asks.

"August 29th. You?"

"December 8th. Your favorite color?"

"Lavender. Yours?"

"Blue."

"What shade? Navy like your shirt? Bright like your ring? Light like your eyes?"

"Lapis lazuli blue," he smiles.

"What does it say on your ring?" I inquire.

"There's a 'D' for Damon. And then 'pro infinito'," he tells me.

"'For eternity'?" I ask.

"Yeah," he sighs.

"Why? It's not like you're going to live forever."

"Actually… I am," he says.

"I don't follow."

"Stefan wasn't upfront about this with Elena and everything fell apart, so… I'm going to trust you," he decides.

My heart quickens.

"Stefan and I, we're vampires."

"That's impossible. Vampires aren't real," I say, backing away slowly.

In a split-second, Damon disappears and I back into something hard. It's him.

"There is absolutely no reason to be afraid. I feel like you're the first real friend I've had in all of my 166 years."

"You're 166 years old?" I ask.

"Yes. I was 18 when the Civil War started. Stefan was only 14."

"You were a confederate, weren't you?"

"I was a member of the Confederate States Army, yes. But then, Katherine came. She is a vampire as well. Looks exactly like Elena. She compelled both Stefan and I. We fell under her spell and believed we were in love with her. When our father began hunting vampires, I told Stefan not to show sympathy for vampires around him. He did. So my father spiked Stefan's drink with vervain, she drank his blood, and they captured her. I've only recently forgiven him."

"Vervain's my favorite flower," I say. "Why does it matter that his blood had vervain in it?"

"Vervain is… crippling to vampires. Our weakness. Everyone around here has vervain in or on them so vampires can't drink their blood or compel them, respectively."

"What happened to Katherine? You said she _is _a vampire," I point out.

"She was supposed to get locked in the tomb with the rest of the vampires, but the guard let her out in return for her turning him. Anna said she last saw them in Chicago in 1983."

"Anna? Anna's a vampire too?"

"Yes, she is."

"This is… this is insane! Am I insane?! Is this a hallucination?!"

"You're not insane. This is all real."

"How do I know you're not bullshitting me?"

He pulls me close, tilts my head, and presses his teeth into my skin. I feel a puncture, then an intense pain.

"Oh my god, you're serious," I say, as he withdraws his fangs from my neck.

"Told you," he says, placing his hand over my wound. "That should heal up pretty quickly. I didn't draw any blood."

"You didn't? You can control yourself?" I ask.

"Of course I can. I've had 145 years of practice."

"Have you… have you ever killed a person?"

"I've killed many people."

My heart sinks.

"Why?"

"You know how humans eat animal meat? It's food, it's energy, they need it to survive. They are programmed with the mentality that killing animals for food is okay. Vampires, on the other hand, are programmed with the mindset that killing people for food is okay. I don't see how it differs. A life is a life is a life," he explains.

"I see how you-" I cut her off.

"I've also saved lives. You remember Bonnie? She's a witch. When her great-great-great-great grandmother Emily was being taken to be burned at the stake, I saved her children. I'm the reason Bonnie's alive. If it weren't for me, they would have burned the kids to death as well."

"Does Bonnie know that? I'm sure if she did, she wouldn't hate you."

"She doesn't know. I don't want her to. I don't care if she likes me. I don't think she ever _could _like me. I tried to kill her."

"You _what_?!" I shriek.

"She was possessed by Emily to destroy an amulet that would have helped me get into the tomb where I thought Katherine would be. Remember how I said I was impulsive? I was as a human and when you get turned, your feelings get amplified by 100. So, in a fit of rage, I tried to rip her throat out. Thank god Stefan was there to stop me."

"Do you ever feel remorse for killing people?"

"To be honest, most of the time I don't. I need sustenance, humans provide it. … Lately I've been drinking pints from the blood bank, though."

"Right."

--

"Why don't you sparkle?" I ask as we walk into the boarding house.

"Because I'm a real vampire. Not a vampire from a fat girl's wet dream." I bite my lip to stifle laughter. "Anyway, real vampires die in the sun."

"Then how do you, Anna, and Stefan go out in the sun?" I inquire.

"You told her?" a voice demands from behind me. It's Stefan.

"Yes, brother. I did. Got a problem with that?" Damon asks in a nonchalant voice.

It's silent.

"No. I'm glad you've finally someone you feel close to. Maybe you'll be less of a douche."

--

"So, you're not going to lecture me?" I ask, laying on his bed, reading an old book while he looks for something.

"About what?" he wonders. I decide to quote Kurt's new favorite movie.

"'I'm the world's most dangerous predator. Everything about me invites you in. My voice, my face, even my smell. As if I would need any of that. As if you could outrun me. As if you could fight me off. I'm designed to kill,'" I recite.

"Let me guess… Kurt?"

I'd given him a detailed report on each Glee member on the drive to Mystic Falls. Looks like he retained some information.

"Of course. Like I'd watch that without being forced to. It's unmitigated crap. Completely impracticable."

"I've never seen it, but I read it. Well, I tried to. Couldn't get past the whole 'I sparkle' bullshit."

"'You're impossibly fast. And strong. Your skin is... pale white, and ice cold. Your eyes change color. And sometimes you speak like you're from a different time. You never eat or drink anything. You don't go into the sunlight. How old are you?'" I quote.

"Seventeen," Stefan says, leaning against the door frame.

"'How long have you been seventeen?'" I say, trying to hold back laughter.

"A while," he replies.

"'I know what you are.'"

"Say it out loud. _Say it_."

"ICE CREAM CAKE!" I shriek. Damon jumps about 3 feet in the air, startled.

"Wow, you managed to scare Damon. I really like you, Rachel," Stefan decides with a slight smile before leaving.

"I like your brother. He's a little weird and cryptic, but he's sweet," I tell Damon.

"Aha!"

"What?" I ask, looking away from my book and at him.

"_Found it_," he says in a sing-song voice.

"Found what?" I close the book and turn to face him.

"My old journal."

"You kept a journal?"

"I did during the war," he says, sitting down next to me, a leather book in hand. "Did I tell you I got shot?"

"No. You did?"

"Yep. Back of the calf. It was during what the south calls the First Battle of Manassas and what the north calls the First Battle of Bull Run. I was one of the 1,582 wounded confederate soldiers."

"Women think scars are sexy, you know?" I smirk.

"That's why I am so good with the ladies."

"No. You're good with the ladies because you're charming and have a way with words. And you're really seductive."

"Oh really?" he grins cockily.

"I guess," I shrug.

--

After I get ready in the morning, I go to Damon's room. He's in the adjacent bathroom, brushing his pearly white teeth.

"Where's your bottle of Jack?" I ask with a smirk.

"I brush my teeth with toothpaste, not a bottle of Jack, you disgusting woman," he laughs.

"_Everybody getting crunk, crunk  
Boys tryna touch my junk, junk  
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk_," I sing, dancing around.

"You're bizarre, Rach," he tells me, returning to his room.

I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket before it starts to blare my ringtone.

_It's time to try  
Defying gravity  
I think I'll-_

"Hey, this is Rachel," I say.

"_Where are you? We're all worried about you! Why didn't you answer your phone?! We thought something happened to you too! Have you heard?"_

It's Artie.

"I'm at a friend's house out of state. My phone was off. What would I have heard?"

"_Terri Schuester's dead. Attacked by an animal. Body drained of blood. They found her body in the park late last night._"

I feel sick to my stomach.

"Oh my god. … I've got to go," I lie, needing to talk to Damon.

"_When are you coming back_?"

"Within the next few days. Probably late tonight. I'll see you at school, Artie. You're a good friend. Love you," I say.

"_You too, Rach_," he says.

I hang up.

"Damon?" I say to him. It seems he's looking for something else.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Anna or her mother would kill someone in Lima?"

"I doubt it. They seem to have settled down there."

"Would you kill someone in Lima?"

He ceases his search and sits down next to me.

"No. I wouldn't."

"Are you lying to me?"

"I'd never lie to you, Rachel," he says before placing a kiss on my cheek. "So, I bet you want to go home."

* * *

**A/N: My brother's okay. He won't be able to get out of Santiago until at least next Monday.**

**I don't own anything, but I think that's obvious.**

**Review, please!  
**


	5. Who Are You Now?

"Leaving so soon?" Stefan asks, leaning against my doorframe.

"I think there's a fourth vampire in Lima," I tell him. "Either that, or Pearl and Anna are really stupid."

"Someone's died?"

"Body drained of blood," I say matter-of-factly.

"I'm coming with you two. This other vampire could be dangerous."

"You have school," I smirk.

"We're on a break. Half of the senior class has mono."  
Shit.

--

Elena and Bonnie decide to tag along as well.

Those two and Stefan take the backseat.

Rachel's in the passenger seat, choosing the music.

When she finally settles on a song, I give her an incredulous look.

"Bust A Move?" I ask, an eyebrow raised.

"What's wrong with Bust A Move? It's Mr. Schue's favorite song," she informs me.

"I don't really groove on Young MC," I tell her.

"Fine," she huffs, pressing the next button on her iPod.

My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson.

"I love this song," Bonnie comments.

"_Guess this means you're sorry  
You're standing at my door  
Guess this means you take back  
What you said before  
Like how much you wanted anyone but me  
Said you'd never come back  
But here you are again_

_'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
Forever united here somehow, yeah  
You got a piece of me and honestly  
My life would suck without you_," she belts out flawlessly.

"I know I've already said this, but you're fantastic, Rachel," Stefan tells my friend.

"Thanks," she smiles. "It's pretty hard for me to sing that without the rest of the club, though."

"You sang that song in glee club?" Bonnie asks.

"Yep. We sing a lot of pop music."

"Like what?" Elena inquires.

"Take A Bow, Crazy In Love, No Air, Keep Holding On, Halo, Smile, and Push It come to mind."

"Halo? I love that song," Bonnie gushes.

"We did a mash-up of that and Walking On Sunshine."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It was pretty fantastic, in my opinion," Rachel says. "We're doing it at regionals. You guys should come watch us rehearse."

"That would be cool," Elena says.

--

Stefan and Elena go out to investigate during school hours while Bonnie, Rachel, and I go to school.

The day is pretty uneventful until glee rehearse rolls around and Stefan and Elena finally come to the school.

"Everyone, this is my brother Stefan, his girlfriend Elena, and her best friend Bonnie. They're on a school break right now," I announce to the glee club.

Everyone looks to Rachel, expecting a protest.

She's silent.

"Okay, everyone. How about we rehearse start with Halo and Walking on Sunshine?" Will asks the group.

The boys walk over to the side of the room.

It's phenomenal. Rachel's high-note at the end is pretty insane.

"Can we do It's My Life and Confessions next?" Artie asks Mr. Schuester.

--

"You're all really talented," Bonnie tells Rachel as the 5 of us pile into my Ferrari.

"Thanks," she smiles, hitting play on her iPod.

"Oh hell no, we are _not _listening to My Fair Lady," I say, unplugging the cord.

"_Bed! Bed! I couldn't go to bed!  
My head's too light to try to set it down! _

_Sleep! Sleep! I couldn't sleep tonight.  
Not for all the jewels in the crown!  
I could have danced all night!  
I could have danced all night!  
And still have begged for more.  
I could have spread my wings  
And done a thousand things I've never done before.  
I'll never know what made it so exciting;  
Why all at once my heart took flight. I only know when he  
Began to dance with me I could have danced,  
danced, danced all night!_" she sings. I give her 'the look'.

"You are aware that I could kill you, right?"

"You wouldn't and you know it," she points out.

"Touché, Berry. Touché."

"What's with the 'Berry', Salvatore?"

"I like it. It fits you better than Rachel. Rachel sounds like that bitch that stole your Barbies and pushed you onto the ground in front of your crush in kindergarten. Berry sounds sweeter and cuter. Like you."

"Did you just call me cute?" she smirks.

"I said you're cuter than a six year-old bitch."

"Bite me, Damon," she growls.

"Is that an offer?" I grin, baring my teeth slightly.

"Oh, shut up," she huffs, slapping me in the arm.

--

Once we arrive at Rachel's house, we convene at the dining room table.

"Did you find anything out?" I ask my brother and Elena.

"Not much. Terri was out on her nightly run when she was attacked. That's it," she tells us.

"You have no idea who it could have been?" Bonnie asks.

"No clue."

"We should probably go talk to Pearl and Anna," Stefan says. "See if they know anything."

--

"You know where they live?" I ask Rachel. We got the task of talking to the other vampires while Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan decided to go back and investigate the scene of the crime.

"Of course. Anna, Puck, and I were a group in Glee a few weeks ago. We sang Ain't No Sunshine," she tells me.

"Oh. … Puck's the one with the mohawk, right?"

"Mhm. He's sweet once you get past the rough exterior."

"Really?"

"Yep. We dated for a week. He serenaded me with Sweet Caroline."

"Do guys sing to you a lot?"

"No. Just him. And Mr. Schue. He sang a mash-up of Don't Stand So Close to Me and Young Girl."

I laugh.

"It's not funny. I was delusional," she pouts, stopping in her tracks.

"Oh, c'mon, Rach. I'm sorry I laughed."

"You're a mean, mean guy, Damon," she huffs.

I roll my eyes and throw her over my shoulder.

"Put me down this instant, Mr. Salvatore. I will sue your ass!"

"You will not."

"Well, you're right about that… but put me down or I will kick you in the face."

"I'm a fast healer. It probably won't faze me."

She kicks me in the face.

"Told you," I say. "Oh, we're here," I add, setting her down on the porch.

She fixes her hair, then knocks on the door.

The person who answers is a person I never expected to see ever again.

"Katherine." Her name falls from my lips.

"Damon Salvatore. Long time no see."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates. My dad just found out that all of the nodules on his thyroid are benign and he just got knee surgery. My brother got home from Chile safely.**

**I don't own anything.**

**Thank you for the reviews!  
**


	6. Comfortably Numb

"Who is your little friend?" the Elena-look-alike, Katherine, asks Damon. His arm goes around me reflexively.

"This is Rachel."

"You're so thoughtful, Damon. I've wanted a snack." His grip on me tightens.

"I don't think so. Actually, we should probably get going. We have the answer to our question," he says.

--

"Katherine is here? This place isn't safe. For anybody," Stefan declares. "Now that Katherine knows about Rachel, you'll need to get some vervain on her, stat."

"Of course I get the task that has to do with jewelry," Damon says with an eye roll. "Rach, is it cool if I dismantle your Holly Golightly necklace for 5 minutes?"

"Sure," I shrug, removing it from around my neck.

"Now that that's settled, we need to decide on roles. Obviously, Damon and Rachel need to go to work and school, respectively, so the three of us need to have specific tasks. I will probably go talk to Katherine. Bonnie and Elena can fashion vervain jewelry to give to people of importance in your life, Rachel. This is some really serious stuff."

"We know, brother. Cut to the chase," Damon says.

"A note to everyone: be careful."

--

"Ooh, this is a cute bracelet, Rachel," Mercedes tells me as we walk onto campus late.

Damon went earlier than I did because he had to.

"You think so?" I smile.

"Yeah. Can you help me get the clasp? I can't do it by myself," she says.

"Of course. I can't do it myself either," I giggle.

"Rachel," a voice says from behind me.

I turn around. It _looks _like Elena, it sounds _like _Elena. But I can feel that it is definitely not Elena.

It's Katherine.

"Where's your pet vampire?" she asks.

"Vampire?" Mercedes asks me, confused.

"I don't know what you see in him. He was completely disposable to me. A good lover, though. You already know that, don't you?"

"I don't. He's my friend," I tell her, staying on my guard. "Cedes, go to the choir room, I'll meet up with you in a sec."

"I don't think so, Ms. Berry," Katherine says.

When Mercedes turns to leave, Katherine ambushes her from behind.

Before I can blink, her fangs sink into my friend's throat and rip the flesh.

I'm frozen for a second.

I run into the nearest classroom to get a teacher.

It turns out to be Mr. Schue's classroom.

Everyone in the room looks bewildered.

"Rachel, why aren't you in class?" Damon asks, an eyebrow raised.

"Mercedes… She just got attacked. In the hall. A second ago," I choke out, my breathing extremely irregular.

Damon uses that obnoxious super-speed to zip out of the classroom quickly.

Mr. Schue runs at a normal human speed into the hall.

Everyone in the Spanish I class looks at me like I'm insane.

I ignore it and follow the two men.

Damon's making a 911 call.

"What the fuck is going on?" Mr. Schue asks.

--

Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, Damon, the glee kids, Mr. Schue, Ms. Pillsbury, Mercedes' parents, and I are sitting in the waiting room.

Damon's cradling me in his arms, earning us odd looks from everyone.

"Why did Katherine attack her?" I ask quietly.

"I don't know. I've incapacitated her, borderline tortured her, and she won't spill."

"You captured her?" I ask.

"With Elena's help. You see, Jeremy's ancestor, Jonathan Gilbert had this pocket-watch that doubled as a vampire tracker. I used that to find her. I couldn't use it directly because I would interfere with the signal, so I used Elena."

"I see. … Where is she now?"

"Locked in my basement without her lapis lazuli. She's incapacitated because I laced her bag of O positive with vervain."

"You're devious."

"It's a perk that comes with being the attractive brother," he says loud enough that everyone can hear.

He glares at his older sibling.

"You're an idiot," I tell my friend.

"At least my head isn't shaped like a potato. Thank god I got my mother's genes," he smirks, looking directly at Stefan.

"My head is not shaped like a potato, Damon," he growls.

"It is and you know it. Elena, I hope you're okay with being Mrs. Potato-Head Salvatore."

It appears that Stefan has to consciously hold back from lunging at his brother. His fists are clenched so tight his knuckles are white.

"You know who really has a potato-head? Finn," I say, pointing directly at him and trying to stifle a giggle.

He gives me 'the look'.

"No, no, Finn. You do. This is a point I have to agree with Karofsky on," I shrug.

"You are _so _lucky you're a girl. Otherwise, you would have a black eye," he warns.

"Oh, c'mon. You didn't give Noah a black eye either time you two got in a fist-fight. He came out completely unscathed."

"That's because I'm a badass. Have you seen my guns?" Puck smirks.

--

Mercedes ends up slipping into a coma.

The doctors send us all home, guaranteeing us she won't wake up any time soon.

I feel immensely guilty.

"You couldn't have done anything, Rach," Damon tells me, laying down next to me on my bed. "You're only human."

I roll over and look into his smoldering blue eyes.

"Of course I'm human, Damon. That kind of worries me. What other kinds of mythical creatures are running around? Witches and vampires. What else? Werewolves? Ghosts?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't exactly get a guide on creatures of myth when I was turned," he grins.

"How exactly do you get turned? It's not as simple as getting bitten, is it? Mercedes would be a vampire and so would Terri."

"You need to die with a vampire's blood in your system and then you have to feed on a living human's warm blood."

"How do you get a vampire's blood in your system?" I ask, confused. "It's not like you can stab a vampire with a straw and suck away." He chuckles at my naïveté.

"No. Generally, the vampire rips open their own skin," he explains.

"You can do that? Doesn't it hurt?"

"Nope," he tells me. Then he sinks his teeth into his own wrist and rips the skin. "See?"

"It's already started to heal."

"We heal very quickly."

"Of course you do."

--

"I hate school," I mumble as Damon and I walk in.

"Let me guess – your favorite part is glee club."

"But of course," I smile.

"Hey, Rachel, over here!" Finn calls from his locker.

"Will's got me teaching a lesson today. See you at glee," Damon smiles, giving me a half-hug before continuing his walk down the hallway.

I head in Finn's direction.

"Hey, Finn," I beam.

"Hi. What's with you and that Damon guy?"

"Oh, he's a really good guy. He's a great friend."

"Isn't he like, old?"

"Just 166," I accidentally say.

"Funny joke. How old is he really?"

"21," I say, thankful that he didn't take my lack-of-filter seriously.

"That's really young for a teacher."

"Student-teacher," I correct. "He's a _student_-teacher."

"He's kind of sketchy. Like he's hiding something."

"Everybody has something to hide."

"It's still kind of weird. Is it even legal for you two to be friends?"

"Of course it is. It would even be legal to marry someone his age."

"What?"

"Marriageable age for girls in Ohio is 16. 18 for boys."

"That's weird."

"Not really. … So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well, Mr. Schue told me to tell you about the addition to the set list for regionals. You and I are going to sing Smile."

"Oh, okay," I shrug. "See you at glee today."

--

At glee, everyone's upset about Mercedes.

"Um, I got a call from Mercedes' parents. She's woken back up. Her doctor said she shouldn't be dancing or even at school for the rest of the school year. Damon went to the hospital as soon as I got the call to check on her. He'll be back with more news," Mr. Schue tells us.

I immediately understand. He had to clear her memory.

"What even happened to her?" Kurt asks. "Rachel, you were with her. What was it?"

"I don't even know," I lie. "It was like a flash. I was knocked on the ground."

Thank god for all of that acting experience.

"Hey, everyone. Mercedes says hi," Damon says nonchalantly as he walks into the choir room.

"Oh my god, is she okay?" Kurt squeaks.

"Yeah, she's fine. She'll have a nasty scar on her neck, but she'll be fine," he replies.

"You saw the wound? What does it look like? Were you grossed out?" Matt asks. He's had an interest in gory movies lately.

"It looks like ground meat. And no, I was not grossed out. It happens a lot where I'm from."

"What?" Will asks, wide-eyed.

"Animal attacks. That's what I'm assuming this was."

God, he's so casual about this.

"Unless you think it was a vampire or something," he adds.

Everyone's silent for a second.

"OH MY GOD THE VOLTURI ARE IN TOWN!" Kurt yells. "FIRST TERRI, NOW THIS?!"

Damon, Anna, and I share a look before bursting out in laughter.

"What? This is serious!" the drama king exclaims.

"Vampires don't exist," I say, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I've got it! The attacks started right after Damon arrived. He's a vampire! He wears color contacts to cover the red!"

"The first one actually happened while I was out of town," Damon explains. "And the second one happened while I was in Mr. Schue's classroom. Not me, kid."

"And vampires aren't real, anyway," Anna adds.

--

"So, Kurt's…" I trail off.

"On the right track?" Damon guesses as we walk into his house.

"Pretty much," I say.

"You changed Mercedes' memories, right?" Stefan asks Damon.

"Of course, brother. Where are the girls?"

"Watching some chick movie."

"You been checking on our prisoner?"

* * *

**A/N: This one's a little rushed. Sorry about that.**

**I don't own anything.**

**Thank you for the reviews, keep them coming. :)**


	7. Monster

I can't sleep.

I decide to start counting sheep.

I get to four when my door creaks open. I sit up.

I'm suddenly on edge. What if Katherine obtained blood somehow and escaped?

What if she's come to kill me?

"Damon? Are you awake?" the person asks quietly. It's Rachel.

"Yeah," I say. "You can't sleep either?"

"No," she says, closing the door quietly. She sits on the edge of my bed. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this. It's so… surreal. A complete 180 from my normal, quiet life as an aspiring Broadway star."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I grin. It's hard to make out her features in the dark, but I know in my still heart that she's smiling too.

"I forgive you," she says.

"We should probably get some sleep," I say, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah. I'll go."

"Actually, why don't you stay here?"

--

"Romantic friendship," Elena says to me. Stefan, Bonnie, and Rachel are all playing Guitar Hero and not listening.

Rachel probably should be doing homework, but I don't say anything.

"Hm?" I ask.

"You and Rachel. You have a romantic friendship."

"What is a romantic friendship?" I inquire, an eyebrow raised.

"A very close but non-sexual relationship between friends. Involves a degree of physical closeness beyond that which is common in modern society, for example holding hands, cuddling, and sharing a bed."

"Oh. … I guess you could say that, then."

"I think it's great that you've found a good friend. You needed one."

"Aren't you my friend?"

"Damon... I'm your brother's girlfriend, you know? It's weird."

"Right. … So, has Stefan told you about the possible genetic relationship between Rachel and Katherine?"

"No. But I know about the relation to me."

"You do? How?"

"She showed me a picture of her mother. It's Isobel."

"Oh… does she know?"

"No. Are you going to tell her?"

"Of course."

--

"Jacob, I don't care if Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob in the Bible," Rachel says to that creepy kid while standing at her locker.

"Hey, Rach. Jacob," I say, leaning against the row of lockers.

"Oh. Hello, Mr. Salvatore," he says awkwardly.

"Is there any trouble, Miss Berry?" I ask.

"No, there's not. I was just going," Jacob says, shuffling away.

"Damon, you are the best," Rach grins.

"I know, I know."

"You are also very arrogant."

"I know, I know. … So, listen, I have something to tell you. You think we could talk? In private?"

"Of course," she says, dragging me to the choir room by the arm.

She sits down on the piano bench and motions for me to sit next to her.

"What do you need to tell me?"

"There's no easy way to say this, but… you're Elena's half-sister."

"What?"

"I don't know. Apparently your mother was 18 when you were born, 16 when Elena was."

"That's… that's not possible. … Does that mean I'm related to Katherine? Do vampires reproduce?"

"We can't. We love to try, though."

That evokes a laugh from her.

"Then how is it possible for Elena and I to be related to Katherine?"

"I'm not sure. She must've had a child before she was turned or something."

"Oh. … Does this make it awkward between us? I mean, I _am _related to your vampire ex-girlfriend."

"Of course not, Rach," I say, slipping an arm around her and pulling her close. "You're my best friend and nothing can come between us. I'm over Katherine, anyway."

"Good," she says before placing a kiss on my cheek. "So, does Katherine know about Elena and I being related to her?"

"No. You don't look as much like her as Elena and she's never seen Elena. We're going to keep it this way, okay?"

"Fine with me."

"And before Stefan tells you, I want to tell you myself."

"What?"

"I turned your mother. She _begged _me to. It's a really long story."

"Oh. … When did you figure all of this out?"

"When you told me your mother's name. You know, when you were attempting to seduce me to get me fired."

"You figured out my motives?"

"I'm very perceptive, you know."

"I applaud you."

"So, do you forgive me?"

"Damon, I didn't know her. And she said she _wanted _it. Why would I need to forgive you?"

"I just figured you'd be mad at me."

"No. I'm not mad. I'm glad you told me."

"C'mon, you ought to get to class. And I should probably go get Will and I coffee like I said I was doing."

"He's made you his bitch?" she smirks.

"No. I _offered _to get coffee."

"Right."

--

I lean on the door frame to the guest room.

Bonnie and Elena are packing up their things. Stefan's decided to stick around until we sort out the Katherine problem.

"I'm going to miss you guys. It's been pretty great having you around," I comment.

"You've been so sweet lately," Elena smiles, walking over and giving me a quick hug. "Did you tell Rachel?"

"In fact, I did."

"You must really like her. I mean, you told her you're a vampire after knowing her for 3 days, you tell her the truth about things. You know, Stefan, you and I probably wouldn't have had as many issues if you'd have just been straight-up with me," Elena says.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Damon's the better brother when it comes to secrets," Stefan says.

"Where's Rachel right now? I thought you two were attached at the hip," Bonnie says.

"Kurt decided that he was taking all of the ladies from glee club on a shopping trip. I imagine she's going to call, begging for someone to rescue her any minute now. Kurt's a little insufferable, if you hadn't noticed."

"He said my hairstyle is tacky," my little brother comments.

"He told me to ditch the leather jacket and wear a pair of khakis," I laugh.

"He told me I dressed too boyish and I needed to wear a dress," Elena giggles.

"He said I dress fabulously," Bonnie smirks.

"Screw you," I say.

"Don't mess with me, Damon. I will light you on fire."

--

"I'll take the girls home, Stefan. It's my car and I need to pick up some things from the boarding house. You need anything?"

"Just grab me some more clothing and I'll be good."

"Okay, dude. If Rachel comes over, tell her I'll be right back. You two can have some bonding time, maybe."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter kind of sucks, in my opinion. I hope you guys like it, though.**

**I don't own anything. Please review.  
**


	8. Bonding

I walk up Damon's driveway and notice the Ferrari's gone.

I go to the door and knock anyway. It opens. Stefan's standing in the doorway.

"Damon took the girls home, I'm guessing?" I smirk.

"You guessed correctly," he smiles back. "C'mon in. He said to tell you to wait here and that he'll be back soon."

"Oh, okay. … So, I've heard the two of you don't really have a good relationship."

"It's improving, actually. Thanks to you, I think. Ever since the two of you became friends, he's been less of a jerk."

"Do you think it could possibly be because of the fact that he's gotten over Katherine?"

"I've never thought about that, but I think that's a big component. … You're really intuitive."

"My dad has a degree in psychology. This is just the type of thing he says to me."

"Your dads aren't around much, are they?"

"No. I think the novelty of having a child wore off when I was 10," I say, sitting down on the couch.

"I'm sorry. I know how it feels. My dad only cared about hunting vampires. He didn't care about my happiness. Maybe if he did, I'd be six-feet under right now instead of an undead murderer."

"You know, Damon told me something once. He said that humans have a mindset that says, 'animals can be killed for food' and that vampires have the mindset that 'humans can be killed for food'. Humans need the nutrients, vampires need the blood. A life is a life is a life," I explain. "I got to thinking about this, and I realized a few things. There are vegetarians. Those who think an animal's life is too sacred. They decide to eat plants, which are still a living thing. Vampires like you are kind of like vegetarians. Don't kill people for their blood, but instead animals, still a living thing. There's no way to live without killing. Not only food-wise, but when it comes to health as well. What does your immune system do? Fights and _kills_ bacteria so that you can live. Does the anatomy of a human body point out that humans are superior to prokaryotes?"

"Go on," he grins.

"I mean, some vegans and vegetarians are against cutting down trees. They say it's a living thing. So are the vegetables and fruits that they eat to survive. Some of them buy a bouquet of flowers for a significant other. Those flowers were living things, just like those trees you don't want cut down."

"You're one of the most insightful girls I've ever met."

"Thanks, Stefan. You're really great too. You and Damon are polar opposites."

"You know, he wasn't _always _evil. He was actually a really nice guy. We were really close. He taught me how to play sports, football especially. He's a great football player."

"Really?"

"Mhm. His teachings really helped me during this past football season."

"You played football? I bet you were the best player. I mean, super-human speed, super-human strength."

"Yeah, I was okay," he laughs.

"I see Damon got all of the arrogance and you got the modesty."

"Pretty much. I also got the potato-head."

"Aw, you're head's not shaped like a potato. It's shaped like a head."

"Thanks."

"Why do you and Damon look so different?"

"He takes strongly after our mother, apparently. I never really knew her, but I've seen pictures. I look more like our dad. I heard my younger brother looks more like Damon than I."

"Younger brother? Damon never mentioned a younger brother."

"That's because he doesn't know."

"How do you have a younger brother if your mother passed away when you were born?"

"Our dad knocked up our mom's twin sister a few months before Damon and I died. His name was Andrew Salvatore. He had seven sons. There are 5 living descendants. A man and his four children. The mother is related to the Donovans somehow."

"Matt's family?"

"Yes."

"Oh. … Matt mentioned he has a sister, but she left town. What is she like?"

"She was. … She was great. Damon turned her. She tried to kill Elena and Jeremy, so I had to stake her. She was going to get caught anyway, so I figured one life instead of three. She was too reckless to not get caught."

"What's Jeremy like?"

"He's a great kid. He's the only guy I've met that comes close to beating Damon at Halo."  
I laugh. I hear the front door open.

"You two getting along?" a voice asks. It's Damon.

"Of course," I say.

"I hope Stefan didn't bore you that bad," he smirks.

"Stefan's not boring at all. I _like _talking to him. He's a good listener."

"We're not talking about the same Stefan, are we?"

* * *

"So, um, I got a call. While I was out with the girls and Kurt," I tell Damon.

I'm sitting on his bed and he's fixing his hair in the mirror.

"And?"

"Mercedes put our performance at sectionals on YouTube. A casting director saw it and wants we to audition for a movie version of one of my favorite musicals."

I watch his face in the mirror brighten.

"Seriously, Rach? That's amazing!"

"Yeah. They want me in New York right away. I've got my plane ticket booked. I was just wondering if you could tell Mr. Schue for me? My flight leaves tomorrow at 8."

"Of course," he says. "What musical is it?"

"Wicked."

"That's like, one of the most popular musicals ever."

"I know."

"That's fantastic, Rach," he grins, sitting down next to me and giving me a hug.

"I really don't know what to sing for my audition. I'm freaking out, to be honest."

"Sing something from a musical. That's your forte," he grins.

"What musical, though?"

"Um. … Sweeney Todd?"

"I've got it. I'll sing Johanna."

"_I peel you, banana,_" he sings to the tune of the aforementioned song. I hit him in the arm.

"Shut up, you whore."

"I am _not _a whore."

"Lies."

* * *

Stefan takes me to the airport in the morning.

"Good luck," he says, giving me a hug.

"Thanks, Stefan," I smile.

"Go wow them," he grins.

* * *

"Rachel Berry," the casting director announces.

I stand up and head into the room.

"Name please," one of the producers says.

"Rachel Berry," I declare proudly.

"What will you be singing for us today?" someone else asks.

"Totally Fucked from Spring Awakening."

They murmur to each other momentarily.

"Go ahead," the casting director nods.

"_There's a moment you know…you're fucked –  
Not an inch more room to self-destruct  
No more moves  
– oh yeah, the dead-end zone  
Man, you just can't call your soul your own  
_  
But the thing that makes you really jump  
Is that the weirdest shit is still to come  
You can ask yourself: 'Hey, what have I done?'  
You're just a fly – the little guys, they kill for fun

_Man, you're fucked if you just freeze up  
Can't do that thing – that keeping still  
But, you're fucked if you speak your mind  
And you know – uh huh – you will_

_Yeah, you're fucked all right – and all for spite  
You can kiss your sorry ass goodbye  
Totally fucked – will they mess you up?  
Well you know they're gonna try_

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

_Disappear – yeah, well, you wanna try  
Wanna bundle up into some big ass lie  
Long enough for them to all just quit  
Long enough for you to get out of it_

_Yeah, you're fucked all right – and all for spite  
You can kiss your sorry ass goodbye  
Totally fucked – will they mess you up?  
Well you know they're gonna try_

_Yeah, you're fucked all right – and all for spite  
You can kiss your sorry ass goodbye  
Totally fucked – will they mess you up?  
Well you know they're gonna try_

_Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  
Blah blah blah blah blah  
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  
Blah blah blah blah blah  
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  
Blah blah blah blah blah  
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah  
Blah blah blah blah blah_

_Totally fucked!_"

* * *

Three days later, I get picked up at the airport by the entire glee club, Mr. Schue, Ms. Pillsbury, Damon, and Stefan.

Kurt screams like a little girl when he sees me.

"So?" Damon asks, putting his arms out for a hug.

"It's between me and Emmy Rossum," I say, embracing my best friend.

Kurt squeals again.

"Would you cut that out?" I laugh.

"Maybe. If you let me be your stylist."

"I don't need a stylist, Kurt."

"You will once you beat out Emmy Rossum for the lead. She already got that in The Phantom Of The Opera. No need to be greedy."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I've had a lot going on. School's out on the 2nd, though so I'll have more time.**

**I don't own anything. Please review! :*  
**


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